Machinery for making kettles and articles of like character from disks of metal



v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM H AYDEN, OF VVATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINERY FOR MAKING KETTLES AND ARTICLES OF LIKE CHARACTER FROM DISKS OF METAL.

Speeilieaton forming part of Letters Patent- No. 8,589, dated December' 16, 1351.

TVaterbury, New Haven county, State of 0011- necticut, machinist, have invented, made, and applied to use certain new and useful improvements in the application of mechanical means for forming brass kettles or similar metallic vessels by stretching or distention of a flat disk of metal on a proper form or forms by the compression of a proper tool operating on the disk of metal while rotating with and againstthc form; and l hereby declare that the followin is a full, clear, and exact descrip-v tion of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure lis a plan of the machine complete. Fig. 2 is a general side elevation, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the form, slide-rest, and poppethead; and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectionof the machine near the slide-rest looking` toward the mandrel and form. The other figures are separately referred to, and the like marks of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

Before proceeding to describe my machine,

l will give a short account of 'the ordinary process ot' making kettles of brass or other metal, in order that the operation and advantages of my machine may be more clearly understood. A disk of metal of the proper size is stamped between dies, gradually stretching the bot-- tom and compressing the sides together, and this has to be performedseveraltimes to draw stamping the metal has to'be annealed, which stamping and annealing stretches, distresses, and injures the metal, rendering it soft, porous, and weak at the very point vwhere the kettle is most liable to injury, and large kettles having to be stamped sometimes ten to twelve times and annealed each time, when the kettle is completely' shaped the metal is so softcned by these operations that it has tobe hammered, or what is termed spotted,7 tol give hardness and temper to the metal, and this hardening is uneven in its operation, and distresses the metal, making it thinner in some laces than in fothers. But the greatest diiiiculty with the old process is this, that the die as it is forced into matrix:` carries the metal witlrit, tending all the time to shove the bottom ott' from the sides, and by consequence stretchin g the metal most at the angle formed between the bottom and the sides, rendering the metal thinnest at this point, thevery point where most liable to injury, and where blows and bruises in using usually occur, and the large-size edges of the sheet, having to be drawn into a smaller compass to form the top of the kettle, are compressed and made thick near the top, where there is little wear, and where it is supported by the wiring. Conscquently, the old process makes the kettle thick where it should be thin, and thin where it should be thick, and the process of hammering, although producing a better article than stamping, still has the same disadvantageomakingthelnetal thin in thewrong place.

the bottom onto the shape of the form, and

gradually thin it, and then to draw ,the sides out straight, and gradually thinner, on the forms, which forms are made successively smaller near the top of the kettles, the botto'ms remaining the same, and the straight sides coming less conical until the last form is of the proper shape and height to form the complete kettle. The bottom, always being formed by the first operatiom'is not changed by the sub sequent operations of stretching and thinning the sides, the bottom and sides being tapered from the center of the bott-om, where the disk is of its original thickness, tothe top of the kettle, which finally receives and is supported Yby the wire, which wiring is put in as usual.

These several operations are effected by my machinery, the largest-sized kettles, or brassbatteries, 4as they are sometimes called, being completely formed by the use ot' five or six molds, and the annealing has to be done only a corresponding number of times, being on the blank, and between each successive operation.

The operation of the tool on the keti le is similar to rolling, drawing the metal cui'. with a spring temper and elasticity equal to rolled metal, and of an even hardness and homogc.-

' by my machine, I will now proceed to detaily the construction and arrangement of themenns employed to produce the above-mentioned rc- In the accompanying drawings, A A' are legs or a frame, supporting a bed, B, made similar to the bed of alathawith slides 1 1 on the top,

as usual.

C is a mandrel-head, formed with journalboxes a a,reoeiving the mandrel c, the endwise pressure on which is taken by the back setscrew, 2, in a crosspicce, b', on short columns b, nearly as usual. Between .the journalsa and a. the mandrel c has aroundit the conical'pulleys D, set loose onthe mandrel, as usual, and havingon their smaller' 'end a pinion, d, tak ing a wheel, d', on a short shaft, 3, set in adjustablesliding journalsi on the mandrel-head C, with pins passing through holes in the slides into the journal-box. These holes are so placed thatK the pins secure the journals so as `to bring the wheel d into gear with the pinion d or disconnect them, and on the shaft 3 is a pinion, d?, taking a gear-wlieel,d,wliich is secured on the mandrel; but the pinion d2 is disconnected from the wheel di when the wheel d' is disconnected from' the pinion d, the-,ob` ject. of this being to give a slow powerful rotation to the mandrel c; but'this may be used or not, as in ordinary lathes, and when not used the wheel d is to be connected to the pul- 'leys D by a bolt, the `head of which is shown at 5, Fig. 2, whichpis to be screwed into a hole i in the end of the conical pulleys D, asiusual.

The mandrel' c has 1on its nose the face-'chuck e, made as usual andturned true, which hasv holes through it to receive the screw-bolts b, with their nuts that secure the rotaryforms.

The rst one of these is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, (marked E,) and 7 areLscre-ws-,to adjust the forni to thc central position'on the chuck; but

. the means of adjusting and securing the forms to the chuck are to be those best adapted to the purpose..v 4

F 's a' slldlng bed on the slides 1 1, taking by a cross AV- slide, 10, the poppct-hcad F .of

l .the lathe, and these both are secured by a clamp-piece, 8, beneath the slides 1 l, through which a bolt, 9, passes vwith a' nut above the bed ofthe poppetfhead vF. v

1l 11 are adjusting-screws passing through ears on the bed F, taking the sides of the bed F'v to adjust it across the machine. This head F is formed with a pipe, f, connecting the topsof the ends, andinside this .pipe f is a 4'short pipe, f', (sce Fig. 4,) secured by 'a pin and. groove, and this pipe j" is formed with orcarrieson its outer end a hand-wheel, f2,

the hub of Ewhich is formed with a female-- screw in its interior.' The head thus 'formed receives the supportirig-mandrel f, that has a groove, taking a pin to prevent its turning, but allows it to slide freely lengthwise, and this ymandreL-" fits the pipe f on its end next the chuck e, but the backend is made larger, with a screw-thread, 13, around it that fits the screws in the hand-wheel j. The object of this arrangement is that by turning the wheel f until vit lhas drawn l'the supportingmandrel f back till its screw 13 is disengaged, the mandrel f can be slid back out of the way so as to be able to remove the kettle without moving the head F', and also without losing time to screw the mandrel f" back, which would be the case if the mandrel had a screwthread its whole length. The end of this -niandi-elf opposite to the screw 13 is turned ,smaller and to a center, which receives a socket, 14, and allows it to rotate freely. This socket 14 has a small diskon its end, with asmall cavity in the center. The circular blank or disk of metal to be operated on has a blunt center-punch mark in the center, the convex side of which, taking the cavity in the face of the socket 14:, forms a guide to bring the sheet to the right place for all the operations, and when the kettle is completed this punch-mark is to be beat down dat again. The disk of metal isto be placed against theform, and the ymandrelf3 shoved up till the screw 13is taken by;` the screw of the wheel f", and the mandrel f, with its socket 14, being forced strongly up onto' the sheet ot metal, whichis to be so placed that its center mark enters the l cavity inthe socket 14,) by turning the wheel 'ft to give the required pressure 'and clasp the disk. firmly between the socket 14 and form E, thedisk and' socket rotating with the forni ou ppwer being applied, the socket' rotating -on the end ci' the mandrel f, and atighteningscrew, 15, may be. used.V to bind the mandrel tight in the tubular bea-'ring f. These being the means of securing and rotating the form or mold, and the disk the means of sustaining .and moving the tool to operate on the sheet, are next to ybe described.

g'is a gear-wheel-near the c nd of the mandrel c, outside the head' C, through .which the power is communicated to drive the. other parts; -17 is a center on the head C, receiving a iiat frame, g, which carries the pinions g and r/"on stud-centers 1 6 and 19. The pinion g gears toa wheel, h2, on the ccnter'17, and an intermediate pinion, h, on a center, 18, also on the frame connects the wheel h'land pinion ff", the object of this being to give thewheel la rotation in either direction, and by consequence all the parts connected to it, for 'a purpose hereinaftcrshown; The wheel y rotatturn it.

. to regulate .the speed.

the opposite direction to the wheel g, and the frame g2 can be so set that neither the pinions g or gi touch the wheel y, so that the wheel'h is not moved. The frame ff is moved by means of an arm, f/, wit-h a link, g", to asmall disk, h, on the end of a shaft, h', set in bear` ings 20, with a handle, 21, to rotate the shaft, and either raise or lower the arm g4, as is usual in lathes.

7L' is a gear-wheel taking the wheel h2, and has a pinion, IL, formed with or connected to it, to communicate motion to a wheel, fr', that is on one end of a screw, i', which runs the whole length of the maehin'e insidethe bed, for a purpose hereinafter set forth, and is secured at the other end by a nut and washer, 22, outside the bed B'. The journal through which the screw fi passes near the wheel 'c' is formedias a short pipe from the bed B, and

receives around its outside the eye ofva lever,

i, that is formed with a slot to receive the `center 23 ofthe wheel Maud a pinion,vlr,

so as to bring the pinion h5 into gear correctly Y with the wheel z and adjust in case of Wear. The lever it extends toward the back of the machine and terminates as a handlefand has a screwjpin, 24, and nut v25, with a lever to This pin 24 .passes through a curved slot, il, which is secured to the bed B and head C, the slot being the arc of a circleto the center of the screw i. The object of this level' Ais to bring. the wheels lr `and r properly together, or entirely disconnectV them, and also allow different-sized wheels to be putin The wheel fi' gears to a pinion, i", which is set ,on a shaft, It, that has a long key-seat to take a key secured in the pinion fr, so that the shaft 7i: can be given a rotary mot-ion, but still is allowed to slide lengthwise through the pinion. The shaft k Vissup'ported in a journal, .17, 0n the bed B,

andthe pinion fi* is retained in plate by a fork, 26, coming t'romthe journal 2T over and into a groove around the boss of the pinion- 1". The shalt k is supported at the other end v4in a lvjournal, 2S), depending rfromm the under side of the bed o of the'slide-rest, and has a mitcr-wheel, l, on its end, taking a similar miter-whecl, 7, on a short shaft passing through a pipe-journal, 3l), depending from the bed o.

fis a gear-wheel secured on the end of this short shaft, taking an intermediate pinion, l, which is set ona center, 8l, on a lever,

on, thc eyeot' which sets over the pipe-jourlnal 30, the other end being formed as a han dle,3

32 is a screw passing through a slot in the lever m into the part o', which slot is of sufficient length to allow the lever m to be moved sul'licienl to connect or disconnect the pinion Zj with a wheehn, and a stop orbloeking piece, 33, set on a screw on the bed o', retains t-he lever in placeto connect'the pinion Z to the gear-wheel n. rlhis wheel n is set 011 a shaft,

o formed as a screw, and support-ed by ajournal, 3l, near the end of the cross sliding bed o ot' the slides-est, and the screw-shaft o has on its outer en'd near the wheel n a hand-wheel, lnf,wherebythe screw o can be rotated. The bed o' of the slide-rest is formed to go across the machine on the slides l 1,and hasaslide, 35, at the back edge taking under the beveled outside edge ot the slide l, and is formed with a bed, o?, on the front-ot' the machine, which has flanges on the'under side taking set-screws 36, the points of which'enterand adjust a sliding plate, 37, that takes the bevel on the oat` er edge of the slide l on this side, so as to allow the bed o with its parts o`7 and o to slide freely on the slides l, but be secure in place.

o3 is a plate on the end of the -bed of, passing downward and terminating as a pipe, 38, that receives through it a short shaft that -has on its inner end apinioino", taking araek, 39, on the under edge of the slide l.

[.05 is a gearwheel on the outer end of this shaft, taking a pinion, ett), which is 'mounted on a short shaft centering in the plate o, vand 'a bracket, 4l, outside sustains the pinion, and

a handle, o, connected to the shaft ot' this pinion, enables theoperator to run the sliderest and parts attached back, when desired, it the slide-rest is not otherwise'retained in place. The screw o enters a nut, 42onthe underside Aof the slide p, which is formed with beveled sides, as usual, and this slide p takes the column p', which is secured by a center pin in the slide p, and has a-liange with bolts li3, to secure 1t in place, and this llange is to lhave a second set ol' holes to take the bolts 43 and secure the column, when turned into another position, for a purpose hereinafter set forth; or the screws that hohl the column p to the slide p may pass up through the slide p front beneath into the column to secure it as before. On top ofthe column p is a small slide-rest, pi, with screw 44, taking a nut on the under side of the slide p3, that carries and sustains, by bolts and nuts 45 and clamp 46, the tool o',

, which operates on the disk ot' metal or partially-formed kettle to forni the complete kettle. The tool is made rounding, as shown, so

as not to cut the metal.

q is a bracket bolted on the back of the bed,L

B, formed with a vflat top, as seen in Fig. 5, and with a rabbet between it and the slide l, to pass thelslide 35, and this bracket qhas a flange, 7, at eac-h end, on the top ot' each of which is a bolt, 4S, that passesl through a slot, 49, near each end of a pattern-guide plate, q', and nuts and washers on the bolts t8 secure the plate 2 7 to the bracket g, .after the pattern-plate q has been adjusted horizontally to the proper place, the slots 49 allowing of this adjustment, which is effected accurately' as follows:

53are two earson theculside faces of each tlangetT, that receive a screw, 52, at cach end ofthe bracket q,standing horizontally and at right angles to the slide` l. and these screws 52 pass through the ears and are kept in place, but allowed to Iturn, by a pin behind the outer car, 58, or other convenient means, and around each screw 52 is a nut, 5l, that has a pin entering a hole, 50, near ea'chend ol' the guide plate q', so that by turning the 'screws 52 the plate can be adjusted horizontally and into af nearly parallel line with. the

' front side of the form then in use, and the nuts time running the slide-rest o and parts con-l nccted back by the handle o6, and pinion of,

- taking the rack 39, the roller 55 running in. the slot 54 until it reaches or nearly so its back end. rIhe operatornow turns the handle of the screw 44, moving the slide pi and tool o" back out of the way. He then places a blank of metal in the machine, and secures it against the mold E, as before described. He then runs the slide p up, so that the tool takes against the disk of metal with the required degreeof pressure. The-proper point to which the tooll is thus projected is determinedby marks on theslide-rest p2, and slide 1),01 by a screw-clamp (which is preferable) on the slide 1), so that when the tool o' is projected to the proper place the clamp takes against the end of the rest pfl. In this position power is applied to rotate the chuck and disk, as described, which motion passes from the mandrel c t-hrough the gearing, rotating the shaft k, by'the pinion Il?, taking the long slot 28, giving motion through the miter-wheels Z and Z and wheel Zl to the pinion Z3, which the workman connects to the wheel n by the lever m, and blocking -piece 33, which rotates the screw -shaft o, drawing the slides p toward the front of the machine, the tool i', standing near the socket 14, cornmences tooperate on the disk, and if 11o other power operated on the slide p the tool 1' would be drawn out at a right angle to the slides l; but the roller 55, being drawn forward in the slot 54, moves the slide p, rest o', and parts attached toward the mandrel-head C, the shaft sliding through the pinion it, but being still rotated by the key and slot 28. The form of this slot 54 is such, and the pattern plate q is so adjusted, that the tool compresses the disk of meta-l regularly as it is rotated with the form E, operating on the disk to draw itto the shape of the form, gradually thinning-it from the center of the bottom, and the operation proceeding,l the slot 54 causes the tool to draw the metal gradually thinner from the center untilthe edge is extended to the shape of the form E, and as thin as required in this lirst operation. I would here remark that the disks or blanks shaped by these means should `be smaller than in the ordinary stamping process, as the extension and thinning of the top of the kettle brings it tothe proper shape and lever, r2.

size with considerably smaller blanks or disk s. The blank disk of metal having thus undergone the first operation, the slides p3 and tool rare to be run back out of the way, the mandrel f 3 withdrawn,as described, the partiallyshaped kettle removed from the form, the slide 1) and slide-rest o are now run back as before,

another blank put iu and secured, the slide p3 run up to the proper place, and the parts put inl motion as before, and when the required;

number of kettles vhave been thus partially formed and annealed the machine is altered, or another or successive set of machines may effect the succeeding operations, the machines 'being constructed precisely the same as has been described u'p to this point, with the exception of the changeable parts hereinafter set forth; but, for the sake of clearness, we will suppose the lpresent machine to have the following parts brought intoaction and the machine adjusted as follows: I remove the first pattern-plate, gf, by taking oft' the nuts from the screws 48, and unscrew the screw o by the hand wheel n until the nut 42 runs off the screw o. I then take off the cap of the journal 34 and remove the screwV o and parts attached entirely, and,having removed the form E, I put the second form, Ef, on the chuck e, (see Fig. 6,) and adjust it-sd as to run true. The bolts 43 are to be removed from the iiange of the column p', and the column given apartial rotation to the position shown 'in Fig. 6, and the bolts 43 put into a second .set ot holes to hold the column p secure in place. The tool r and nuts and clamp 46 being removed, a block, t, is to be set over the bolts 45 and the follower 46 and nuts again replaced. This block t is made with ears, forming bushes for a shaft,

67, on the end of which is a roller, 68, andthe pressure on the roller is `taken on the point of a set-screw, 66. On the .bolts 48 o n the flanges 47 .I place the slots 63 of the second` l 'I pattern-plate, s, formed as seen in Fig. 6, with astraight slot, 62, and adjust this plate horizontally, as before, by the holes 64 taking the pins 51, so that the edges of the slot.

62 are nearly parallel with the front side of the mold E', but so as to make the metal thinnest near the top of the kettle, and this plate s is secured in place by the nuts on the `bolts 48. I now bring a clamp to bearto take motion from the screw i', previously referred to. The way of eii'ecting this will beseen in Fig. 5, wherein 1" is aflange on the underside of the slide o descending, and having an eye,

57, to pass the screw i', and through the side of the eye 57 isa mortise, taking a slide screwclamp, 58, that Ycorresponds tothe threads of the screw fi. l59 is a link connected to the clamp 58,' and to an arm, 60, passing through a slot in the iange r', and formed with asmall shaft," setting in aholc formed in the iiange r'v and bed o', which shaft has on its outer end a Itwill now be seen that when the lever r2 is inthe position shown in Fig. 5 the clamp 58 is disconnected fromthe screw i',

which rotates inthehole 5 7 without moving any ol' the parts, but when the lever I1"" is raised up and the bloekingpiece (il on the slide o placed under the end ot' the lever, the'screw clamp 5s' is brought against the screw fi,whiclr is kept trom bending by the eye 57, and co1`n manica-tes motion to the slide o and parts attached to move ihem in'either direction, according to which way the screw t is rotated by the gearing from the mandrel c. The kettlc, partially formed, as described in the foregoing, is now to be clamped firmly against the form l. The bottom otthis form E is the same shape as the form E, the sides being broughtnearer parallel, the cavity in the socket 14 placing the partially-formed 'kettle centrally in the lathe, and securing it onto the fornrE, as beiine. The slide-rest 0' is now to be run back by the handle oG until the rollervGS comes nearly opposite the commencement of the side of the form E, and the slide p with its roller is to be forced against the partially-formed kettle by the screw L tato the required point, which ina-y be determined by a gage or clamp, as before. The lever r is now raised and the blockingpiece -61 put. under it. The gearwheels, from the' mandrel c to the screw i, be-A ing set sons tolrotate the shaftil in the direction to l 'draw the slide o and parts toward the mandrel-head C, the power now being applied rotates the form and partially-shaped kettle and screws the slides o and p with the roller 68 gradually toward the chuck c, the slot 62 giving pressure through the roller 55, slide p, and column p by the roller (SS on the kettle, and this roller' turning as the' kettle and form are rotated compresses and extends 4 the metal till it sets closes onto, and is of the shape of the form E', andeirtended also in the length of th-e sides, while the, mouth of t-he kettle has been decreased in diameter. The

mandrel f being withdrawn, the kettle is re moved as before, and the slide-rest run back by changing the direction in which the screw rotates, or by disconnectingthe clamp '58 and running back by the handle o, and tile parts broughtto bear on another partiallyformed kettle, as before. It will now be seen that according to the size of the kettle it will be necessary to have forms that will draw the mouth of the kettle gradually smaller, bringing the sides nearer parallel. The conical sides of the mold being straight, all that is nccessaryjs to have the pattern-plate s with slot G2 so adjusted that the slot stands nearlyparallel with the side ofthe form at the point where the roller operateson the kettle with out the necessity-0f having a patternplate for each form; but I seldom have to use more than four or iivc forms to produce the largest-sized complete kettles. In the drawings only three 'forms are lshown, the third form, Ewhich produces the complete kettle, heilig shown in Fig. @with the patternguideplate gand slot so adjusted that the slot 62,is nearly parallel with the front side of the lforni El, and this ligure needs no further explanation, themode ol'working and operation being the same as last described, and I would here state that the roller may be applied with the first form, or the tool r in the subsequent operations, al-

though I prefer to' use them as herein set forth 5' spinning or burnish'ing up conical or spheroidal forms, or forms of. the same shape as a kettle, and the two processes of 4lcurnishing and stamping have'been combined; but in this apparatus of mine the metal is stretched into form at the same time that it is compressed and thinned between two metallic surfaces similar to rolling a ilat sheet, and I am not aware that iiat disks or blanks of metal yhave ever been stretched and compressed so as to extend the s hect and form a kettle of the proper thickness at the required place by means .of the'pressure of a proper tool, roller, or

similar article moved by mechanical means.

'while rotating with and on aproper form or mold of metal, the machine when adjusted as described and shown being self-acting'and in contradistinction to guiding the tool byhand.

I do not claim any of the gear-wheels or.

pinions nor their arrangement, except as here! inafter set forth, some of these being common.I in ordinary lathes; but

I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl. The application of a rotary metallic forni or mold, orsucocssive forms or molds, in combination with a proper tool or tools, roller or rollers, sustained, moved, and Ydirected in av proper path by competent mechanical means for the purpose of operating on a disk, blank, or plate of metahso as to reduce it gradually from the center to theedge, at the same time forming it with straight sides by successive stages into a complete kettle or into any similar articles, to the forming of which this apparatus can be applied, substantially as described and shown.- 4

2. The construction of the mandrel f3, part of which is cylindrical and part iitted with a short screw, 13, to take the screw of the handwheel f, so that great pressure may be made at the point desired, while at the same time the mandrel can be easily and quickly moved through a long distance, for the purposes and as described and shown.

In witness whereof I have heretoset my signature this 1st day of October, 1851.v

HIRAM WV. HAYDEN.

- Witnesses:

' W. SERRELL,

LEMUEL W. Sunni-1hr.. 

